The present application relates to the general field of blepharoplasty. It finds particular application to medical implants used in connection with the eye, eyelids, and/or surrounding structures and will be described with reference thereto. However, other applications are also contemplated.
A common problem or condition affecting individuals of all ages is the presence of dark circles under the eyes, also referred to as “sunken eyes.” Generally, these dark circles can make an individual look older than they really are, fatigued and/or upset. A variety of factors can be tied to the cause of darkness under the eyes. These include genetics, the natural aging process, allergies, exposure to ultraviolet light, fatigue, etc. In addition, darkness under the eyes can result from the thinning of the skin underlying the eyes, thinning of the infra orbital rim and/or loss of, shifting or pseudo-herniation of the fat deposits or fat pads near the infra-orbital rim and/or orbital septum.
Thinning of the skin allows for the underlying vessels, veins, muscle, or other dark hue structures (all of which are typically dark red or blue) to influence, discolor, or give the appearance of darkening the tone of the overlying thinning skin area. Thinning of the infra-orbital rim can also cause the appearance of dark circles under the eyes but in a different manner. When the infra-orbital rim thins or shrinks, the overlying skin, fat, muscles, vessels, etc. tend to recede or move in a posterior direction together with the infra-orbital rim creating a depressed region beneath or about the eye. Light directed downward from an elevated perspective would cause a shadow to be cast in the depressed region thus giving the appearance of a darker infra-orbital skin region. An outward bulging portion under the eye due to pseudo-herniation of a fat deposit, fat pad, or orbital septum can also result in shadow formation. An outward bulge under the eye or infra-orbital region would also cause a shadow to be cast under certain lighting conditions giving the appearance of dark circles due to the change in relative surface elevation between the bulging skin portion and the surrounding healthy skin regions adjacent the eye and/or the cheek. Just as a mountain eclipses sunlight from an oppositely disposed valley, the bulging skin portion can also eclipse light, causing a shadow to be cast to the adjacent healthy skin portions thus giving the appearance of dark circles. In still other cases, darkness under the eyes may be the result of skin hyper-pigmentation.
The current procedures for correcting or treating dark circles typically involve fat grafting, collagen injections, chemical treatments, lotions, make-up and/or chemical peels. However, these techniques provide only marginal results and must usually be repeated often in order to achieve the desired effect. While a surgical procedure involving fat grafting can be done to remove excess fat cells from one part of the body and transplant them to the depressed or sunken portion of the infra-orbital region of the eye, any positive results achieved from such a procedure rarely last more than a few months since they are eventually reabsorbed by the body. Collagen injections similarly provide only a short term benefit. Moreover, there is always the risk that the body will reject the fat graft or collagen which may also result in an infection and/or inflammation of the treated site.
For at least these reasons, a need exists to provide a solution for more permanently correcting the condition of dark circles while overcoming the aforementioned problems and others.